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But later, being a decorated expert cook, grandma could not but put garnishing and spices to improve the taste of tough dried fish (daing). So it tasted like first class imported sardines instead! Her reputation as a good cook was at stake and she didn't want her grand kids saying grandma's cooking was the pits. Instead of self-punishment, eating dried fish became indulgence on Lent since.
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But well before that, we suffered big-time on Lent eating nothing but daing--and the worst kind at that. Simple joys of summer like laughing, playing, running, shouting and taking baths were strictly forbidden. Any form of happiness was considered demonic. So we wore long faces the whole week to express sorrow for our sins--well, that is, except me and my cousin Arnold. We preferred to be "demonic" at times.
I couldn't understand then how happy could be demonic. Must be boring in heaven, I thought. You could not even take a bath on Thursday until Saturday--Thursday because God was suffering, Friday because God was supposed to be dead. And to think that summer's the hottest time of the year. I don't know why summer seems hottest on Lent. You noticed?
Anyway, so we kept to extremely bland food dishes each meal because of Lent. I remember having plain boiled upo for lunch and you can imagine what that did to our facial expressions. When my dad was really in a religious mood, we'd have the same boiled upo for dinner. I felt our sins were totally wiped out with that daily menu, like what muriatic acid did to our toilet bowl.
But then on Saturday late afternoon, my childhood friend, Arturo, would be back from Bataan and tell me how he and his family spent Lent there. They had roast pig, fried chicken, barbecues, ice cream and cakes. They had a lot of fun and laughter at the beach--and his family was supposed to be among the religious in our village. They were among our leaders in the community parish.
"Why, what did you do all Lent?" he asked when he saw how I was a bit upset. "We suffered," I said, regretting why I didn't go with him to Bataan when he had invited me. I thought they had planned to suffer religiously in Bataan, so I thought I'd rather suffer in Project 8, Quezon City. Well, I was wrong. "Pre, you mean you had fun? Isn't that strictly forbidden?" He looked at me and chuckled. "Seriously, CS?"
Later, I also learned from my cousin how they had big-time picnic at the beach of San Juan, La Union during Lent, "especially on Friday!" he said, with a look on his face that said "Man, you've been missing a lot!" And these relatives were supposed to be "devout" Catholics. He said everyone in San Juan was at the beach enjoying lechon and barbecues. Then they spent overnight there.
Then, I got the whole picture. We were the only ones who suffered during Lent. Everyone else was enjoying it outside the city.
Much later, in college, someone shared with me the good news of the Gospel and I received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I learned that there's no need to "suffer" for your sins in any manner because Jesus paid for ALL of them when he died on the cross. And I mean ALL. He left nothing unforgiven. It's all by God's grace, NOT because of anything I do or have done.
I still don't eat pork or meat on Lent because I'm a vegetarian, but at least I now enjoy my summers. A lot. I appreciate gourmet fish. I don't observe Lent--I just enjoy what Jesus did for me.
